Steven Spielberg Hoped To Direct James Bond - But Got A 'No'

It's hard to imagine Steven Spielberg getting a 'No,' but that's just what happened back in the day when he went sniffing around taking on James Bond. But this was back in the late '70s and he had yet to make some of his biggest pics.
The lure of 007 prompted the Jaws director to ask Bond producers if he could direct an installment. "I went to Cubby Broccoli and I asked if I could do one and he said: 'No,'" Spielberg told the U.K.'s Daily Mail.

But, as legions of audiences know, Spielberg didn't let the disappointment keep him from bigger and better things. He took on some franchises of his own and is of course in line for an Oscar nomination or two for his latest feature.

"I never asked again," he recalled. "Instead, I made the Indiana Jones series."

Still, he's a 007 fan and heaped praise on the latest Bond, giving kudos to Sam Mendes' Skyfall, which has cumed over $790 million worldwide since it first hit release in late October, followed by early November in the U.S. The Oscar-winning director said he will likely even see the latest one starring Daniel Craig as the British operative "again."

Since its initial limited release November 9th, Spielberg's Lincoln has grossed over $62 million. Over the holiday weekend it played just over 2,000 theaters, grossing over $25 million. The film continues to generate Oscar buzz for the director and its star Daniel Day-Lewis.